NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today: The Real Playoffs Begin! (April 19)

Saturday welcomes the first round of the NBA Playoffs, with the action getting underway at 1:00 p.m. ET on FanDuel and DraftKings. Let’s get into the top NBA DFS picks and building blocks: Nikola Jokic has the highest median fantasy point projection, which is no surprise, though there are viable ways to pair him with another star and still put forth a roster with tournament winning upside. Cade Cunningham continues his breakout run, while Luka Doncic continues to break hearts, hopes and dreams in Dallas.

These picks are based on the latest available data. For real-time lineup updates, check out our NBA DFS Starting Lineups Page!

NBA DFS Picks Today – Building Blocks: Saturday, April 19

NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks

It is worth noting that Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic are not in the “baseline” optimal lineups on DraftKings or FanDuel. The same goes for Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Cade Cunningham. There ultimately will be news or a starting lineup tweak that creates a discount dandy that is likely to change this statement, but it is important to remember that when salaries are efficiently created, which they have not been for months during the NBA silly season, the points per dollar ratio starts to favor the middle tier.

Expect most teams to trim their rotations down to eight or nine players, which is going to come as a shock to some gamers who may not have dealt with miniscule minutes for Zach Collins on Tuesday, as well as Spencer Dinwiddie and Jonathan Kuminga on Wednesday.

Aaron Nesmith of all players has one of the better fantasy point per dollar ratios on DraftKings and FanDuel, based on his median projections, with Mike Conley popping on DraftKings ($3,800) and OG Anunoby on FanDuel ($7,000), where the blue site awards three points for blocks and steals.

Back to the game at hand, it is tougher to be excited about Zubac, who has topped 40 fantasy points once in the last four games against Jokic, despite averaging just over 35 minutes per game in that timeframe. Everyone on the Denver roster is available, including Jamal Murray, who returned from a six-game absence to play 31.6 and 24.8 minutes in the final two games of the season. He has had another five days of treatment for his balky hamstring, so we should expect something in the low-30s minutes, with a few more if the game is close. If he is ailing at all, there is no reason to push him in the first matchup of the series.

For the bench unit, Peyton Watson and Russell Westbrook are likely to see low-20s minutes in a close game, with Westbrook potentially dropping to the 15-to-17 minute range. No other reserves are likely to escape the single-digit range, outside of injuries or a lopsided game.

That makes Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and Michael Porter Jr. appealing, even in a matchup against the tough Los Angeles defense.

James Harden was crucial to the Clippers this season, keeping the team from falling to the dregs of the standings, along with Norman Powell, who had the best scoring average of his 10 season, with 21.8 points per game. Harden also provides rebounds and of course assists in addition to scoring, so he is worthy of consideration in all formats.

Kawhi Leonard played massive minutes in the last three regular season games, with 38.5, 42.3 and then 47.4 in the thrilling overtime victory against Golden State. He has had five days off, so expect him to be ready for a major workload, if needed in this matchup. There is risk of him getting limited run in the final frame of a non-competitive game, but that is a danger worth accepting, especially if he remains at his current level of popularity. He also has a salary below the apex options, which helps open up different builds and strategies.

Stokastic’s NBA DFS Single Lineup Simulator is a groundbreaking tool that revolutionizes lineup building by providing data-driven simulations, making it a must-have for serious players. Check out how the Simulator evaluates this single lineup for today’s slate:

Malik Beasley also was added and while he mostly worked off the bench, he answered the bell for all 82 games and made the second-most 3-pointers in the league with 319, trailing Anthony Edwards by one. Edwards attempted 45 more triples, in three-fewer games. For added perspective, last year’s leader splashed 357 troikas in 74 games, which was well above the rest of the top three. That of course was Stephen Curry, with Doncic (284) and Donte DiVincenzo (283) filling the rest of the podium.

Cunningham posted career-highs in most statistical categories and though it does not have a major influence on today’s matchup, in four games against New York, the former first-overall selection averaged 30.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.3 stocks, in 33.3 minutes. The rest of the Motown first five is in play for tournaments, though none are overly appealing against the New York defense, even long-range specialist Tim Hardaway Jr. in this “Remember Me?!” matchup in Madison Square Garden.

Coach Tom Thibodeau is a madman when it comes to playing time, so it would not be a surprise for most of the key players to approach 40 minutes tonight if the game is remotely close. We have seen his players breakdown time and again in the postseason, from heavy regular season usage, but that is just how he operates.

Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, Miles Bridges and of course Anunoby, will be the iron five going forward. Mitchell Robinson is in play on DraftKings ($3,800) as a discount dandy, who should see a dozen or so minutes backing up Towns at center and likely getting a few minutes alongside him. It is harder to be excited about the prolific shot-blocker on FanDuel ($4,800), where he takes away the center position.

Miles McBride will be getting 8-to-10 minutes as the Brunson backup, while potentially pushing his run towards 20 minutes by also spelling Bridges and Hart. He could also improve his fantasy potential if he is knocking down his shots and the latter duo struggles at all. Precious Achiuwa and Cameron Payne may each get a short rotation in the first half, though they will need a lopsided game or injury to a primary player to get more burn.

NBA DFS Picks Today: Building Blocks

Continuing the example from above, playing Jokic actually creates a lineup that has a median projection nearly 10 fantasy points lower than the “optimal” roster. Luka’s best lineup is a bucket better than that on DraftKings, while it falls a bucket below on FanDuel. Locking in both players on DraftKings looks limiting with a nearly a 20 fantasy point deficit to the “optimal” though surprisingly on FanDuel the lineups with both Doncic and Jokic are within a bucket of the lineup featuring only one of this spectacular pair.

For those of you not utilizing the Stokastic “single lineup” simulator, you are just missing out on all sorts of fun laboratory experiments! The best simulated ROI% lineup on using Jokic and Doncic on both DraftKings and FanDuel has common value options of Andrew Nembhard, Rui Hachimura and … well … you are going to need to be a subscriber to get the rest. Check out the Stokastic “Link Join” promotion for details on how to get 30 F-R-E-E days of All-Access NBA Simulations.

Today’s Top Sports Betting Picks

If you’re serious about winning in NBA DFS, you know the edge comes from having the right tools. The same principle applies to sports betting — and that’s where Portfolio EV steps in.

Take the Christian Braun over 21.5 points+rebounds+assists (PRA) today for example. It’s a +EV bet, meaning it has positive expected value when compared to the best odds available across the market. But the real strength of Portfolio EV isn’t about finding just one good bet — it’s about consistently finding dozens. With the Mass Entry tool, you can scale up, place a high volume of +EV bets, and let the math do the heavy lifting.

Just like you wouldn’t count on one DFS lineup to ship a GPP, you don’t count on one bet to carry your night.

Portfolio EV is built for long-term profitability. It helps you spot market inefficiencies, compare lines across books and generate a steady stream of +EV bets. It doesn’t chase heaters, but rather trusts the numbers, follows a process and builds sustainable profit over time.

This threshold is right in line with the Stokastic projections of 14.01 points, 4.98 rebounds and 2.54 assists for 21.53 PRA. Of course that does not account for the potential range of outcomes and with the +125 line, the math works out in favor of the improving youngster pushing for the 22 PRA necessary to win this wage.

Final Thoughts on NBA DFS Picks & Building Blocks Today

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